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Pretani
Pretani, or the Pretani People, are members of the largest special group on the planet Vespa. Consisting of billions of members, it single-handedly dominates the world as the most populous and diverse species. All current evidence, provided by the large amount of written records pertaining to the Dark Ages, indicates that modern Pretani originated on the island continent they currently inhabit at least as long as 2700 Year Cycles. Any data pertaining to previous inhabitation has since been lost. When compared to other animals, Pretani have a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection and problem solving. This mental capability, combined with an erect body carriage that frees the forelimbs (arms) for manipulating objects, has allowed humans to make far greater use of tools than any other species. For all their numbers, however, Pretani are not distributed worldwide, focusing instead their entire population on two of the many continents on Vespa. The Pretani population on Vespa has been calculated to be, in the United Kingdoms alone, about 1,675,036,022 as of the 2197 Year Cycle. which does not take into account the somewhat smaller population of the Free Confederacy of Rio. To the knowledge of both Rio and the United Kingdoms, no Pretani lives within the territories of the Alban people. The Pretani people are distinguished mainly from their otherwise indistinguishable Alban counterparts due to a very peculiar trait: a historically early radical onset of genetic variation depending on environmental conditions. Thus, within a single generation, it was possible for the otherwise unremarkable humanoid Pretani to have their anatomical features change to optimal settings for the environment they are being exposed to. For instance, Pretani living within the mountain regions of Serev, and in particular those who have been living within the mountain city of Serev, have genetically altered over the years to become short, stocky, and far more hairy than the rest of the Pretani species. Conversely, those Pretani living in the heavily wooded province of Saxe have, for generations, lived with the requirement to listen for sounds across the auditory range, see at greater than normal ranges, fight silent predators, and be nimble enough to navigate the densely wooded areas surrounding their villages; as a result, they became tall and lithe. Their musculature, however, remained strong, and they developed their most recognizable physical trait: strikingly violet irises. Over the years, though, it seems that the genetic variations settled, and for the past millenia, at the very least, no new remarkable traits have surfaced. __TOC__ Name The origins of the word Pretani is subject to much debate within scholarly factions throughout the United Kingdoms. Despite being a simple linguistic term to describe or identify the race to which all inhabitants of the continent south of the Alban lands belong, none of the seven provinces have ever claimed (or rather, successfully claimed) authorship of the word that now describes the entire race. Several theories have, however, arisen out of the debate, each of which holds significant ground within academic circles. Originist Theory Originist Theory, otherwise known as Originism, claims that all things regarding Pretani affairs are evolutionary nuances developed over time as the humanoid race evolved on the planet. They put strong faith in the idea that Vespa is the biological home of the Pretani, and so whatever linguistic accident caused the creation of the word Pretani must have been their own doing, and thus the whole debate is moot. Outlandist Theory Outlandist Theory, alternatively known as Outlandism, claims that the Pretani are not, in fact, originally part of Vespa's biosystems. Pointing to the Albans as proof, the Outlanders believe that the Pretani either came to, or were placed on Vespa long before the Dark Ages. Since the total amount of available knowledge on the period previous to the Dark Ages borders on nil, there is thus no reason not to believe that this scenario is possible. As such, the word Pretani, to Outlanders, is a relic of the past civilization that led to the current-day Pretani civilization. Of course, due to their extreme polar opposite views, Outlanders and Originists are known for their almost legendary academic feud. Lingua Veritas Theory Adopting the dead language of the Dark Ages, the Lingua Veritas faction of the academic world are those who have taken no official stance on the matter of Pretani origins. On the other hand, the Lingua Veritas believe that, like in the case of the word Pretani, any information, be it Originist or Outlander in nature, that allows the world to understand their own language better is worth publishing or, at the very least, discussing. Origins As with the name of their race, the Pretani have little to no information regarding their own origins. While natural scientists have tried to elaborate theories on the matter, none have found widespread credibility as of yet, due in part to the Pretani race's penchant for extreme genetic evolution. As a result of this particular trait of the Pretani, natural scientists have deemed it impossible to figure out what the original Pretani looked like. Even the founder of Pretani anthropology, William Kant, has been unable to shed much light on the subject, though he has ascribed himself publicly to the Lingua Veritas faction. Variations Regardless of origin issues, there is nonetheless credible evidence to suggest that the Pretani race has evolved from its root form into at least five different variations, with the fifth being more as a result of inter-variation breeding rather than natural evolutionary processes. These five, so classified by William Kant, are known as the Mens, the Elber, the Dvargen, the Halves, and the Rex. Mens The Mens are, according to the latest census of the United Kingdoms, the most populous of the Pretani genetic variations, totalling about 45% of the total population. Concentrated largely in the modern-day provinces of Vena, Deios, and Roswind, they are considered, by themselves and the rest of the Pretani race, as the "Average Ones." Standing at an adult average of between 1.5 to 1.8 meters and weighing an average of 54 to 83 kg, depending on sex, the Mens is unremarkable in terms of physical appearance. Their strength, however, is in just that: strength. A member of the Mens is considered to be the most physically strong specimen of the Pretani race, capable of lifting objects above 200 kg at one extreme (the strongest Mens in recorded history, Albert "the Strong," is recorded as having lifted a cannon barrel of nearly 300 kg and thrown it at advancing Roswindian soldiers during the Battle of the Seven Thrones, though there exists some controversy about this claim). As a result of this outstanding physical ability, the Mens have generally been assigned with the construction of the United Kingdoms' infrastructural works, though many of them are also assigned to the military, where they reportedly excel at fortress storming maneuvers. Mens live for an approximate length of 100 to 120 Year Cycles, and prior to the adoption of the Codex Juris Regalis, considered the age of adulthood to be 15 Year Cycles. Elber If the Mens are the strongest fighters, "the Elber," it is said, "are the most cunning." Standing at an adult average of about 1.6-2.0 meters, and weighing at an average from 54 to 75 kg, depending on sex, the Elber are not what the Pretani race considers the best fighters, or even the most sturdy. Rather, they are considered the most agile and cunning hunters. Though their origins are shrouded in mystery (even to themselves), the Elber have been known to inhabit two major areas: Saxe and Hali. In these densely wooded areas of the Pretani Isle, the Elber thrived from the moment of their inception as a variation of the Pretani race. What they lack in muscular power, the Elber make up for in speed and cunning, favouring the use of the ambush over the frontal assault. Physically speaking, the Elber are easy enough to recognize. Apart from typically being taller than the Mens, they also possess purple irises, with each Elber possessing different shades of violet. Furthermore, their features are described as "lithe" and "graceful," thereby accurately describing their typically thin physique and long limbs. Like Mens, however, there are Elber of every type of beauty, with some considered unearthly beautiful and some considered a blight on any rational person's eyes. There are unconfirmed rumours that Queen Elizabeth herself inherited her unearthly beauty via her ancient Elber genes, though this is heavily disputed by eyewitnesses of the Queen Dowager's (a woman of the Mens variation) own reputed attractiveness. Elber life cycles have been noted to be only slightly longer than that of Mens. Where Mens are known to live 100 to 120 Year Cycles, the Elber have been known to live 110 to 140 Year Cycles (the longest living Elber has been said to have gone as far as 150 Year Cycles). Dvargen Out of the entire Pretani race, the Dvargen are, by far, the most curious of the variations. By far and large shorter than the rest of their genetically diverse race, they are also surprisingly the most technological savvy and, in terms of height vs. weight, the strongest of the variations. While the Dvargen stand at no more than an adult average of between 1.0 and 1.4 meters, and with a surprising average weight of between 70 to 90 kg, depending on sex. The high average weight is a result, many believe, of their dense and powerful musculature, which is able to lift up to three times the Dvargen's own body weight. Like the Elber, the Dvargen are easily recognizable. Other than their short stature, the Dvargen men have also become known for their growing of large beards and the beading of strands of their hair. A traditional event for the Dvargen, in fact, is for the men to bead their hair after every kill, be it from a hunt or combat. As a result, some of the more prolific warriors of the Dvargen community have been noted to have hundreds of beads through their hair. Though widely spread out now, the Dvargen mostly hailed from the mountainous heartlands of Serev. An interesting quirk of the Dvargen is the fact that very few women seem to be restrained by the short height constraints of their variation. While they never reach the height of their counterparts in the Mens or Elber communities, Dvargen women usually measure at an average of 1.4 to 1.5 meters, considered "petite" in the other variant communities. Theories as to why this has occurred are numerous, but no one has managed to clearly pinpoint the exact reason for it. Like the Mens variant, Dvargen usually live for 100 to 120 Year Cycles. Halves If the Mens, Elber, and Dvargen were created out of natural, genetic evolution, then the Halves are the exception to the rule. The Halves are those considered to be the product of procreation between any two members of different variant communites (ex. Mens and Dvargen, Elber and Mens, etc...). As a result of this inter-variant procreation, the resulting offspring tend to show characteristics natural to both of his or her parents. A Mens-Elber combination, for instance, may inherit the Elber height and ears, but may retain the Mens' superior musculature and and shorter lifespan. Alternatively, a Dvargen-Mens combination will usually result in a Half that is of average height but with superior strength to even that of a professional Mens weightlifter. Halves do, however, have their own unique genetic traits, however, depending on the combinations that produce them. For instance, an Elber-Mens half-breed would develop a condition that the scientific community has called Variant Ocular Heterochromia, which implies a change of colour whenever the Halves of this particular breed are in an emotional state. Dvargen-Mens Halves, for their part, are known to possess greater than average bodily hair production. Dvargen-Elber Halves, on the other hand, tend to have either VOH or the increased body hair production trait. It should be noted, however, that none of these traits have been considered genetically divergent enough to warrant their own classification as separate variants. As such, the varians of Halvest exists in official classification mostly as a categorizing tool, not as a viable area of research, except for one particular family of Halves: the Rex. Magi Where the Halves are considered to have simply inherited their traits from their parents, the Magi are the sub-species of the Pretani race that has no seeming explanation. Barely three hundred years old, the Magi community is perhaps the youngest of the sub-species found within the Pretani race, as well as the least understood. Where the Halves could trace their traits from particular parents, the Magi's abilities to manipulate untold powers to their whims are without precedent. As the most recent Pretani variation, the Magi population is quite low, numbering only about 167,000. Recently, however, work from renowned anthropologist William Kant has suggested that the Magi are a genetic mutation of the Pretani race. Specifically, Kant has proposed that the rather random incidence of Magi births indicates a variable chance of any Pretani to give birth to Magi. Furthermore, Kant's work has suggested that proximity to the Adlerium mineral, found primarily in the Adlerstrek Mountains, may enhance the chance of Magi births, though the rather larger incidence of Magi births among non-Everett natives equally suggests that this supposition may be incorrect, or at the very least not universally true.